This Snapshot guide, excerpted from my guidebook Rick Steves Germany, introduces you to the resurgent German capital. Once divided, now reunited, vibrant Berlin is racing into the future as one of Europe’s leading cities. Walk under the Brandenburg Gate and stroll up the boulevard called Unter den Linden, pondering the layers of history beneath your feet. Relive the Cold War as you follow the course of the long-gone Berlin Wall, while towering cranes above you erect glittering new skyscrapers. Dip into art museums for a look at classical antiquities and the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti. Then take a day-trip to Frederick the Great’s palaces and gardens in Potsdam or the sobering concentration camp memorial at Sachsenhausen.
To help you have the best trip possible, I’ve included the following topics in this book:
• Planning Your Time, with advice on how to make the most of your limited time
• Orientation, including tourist information (abbreviated as TI), tips on public transportation, local tour options, and helpful hints
• Sights with ratings:
▲▲▲—Don’t miss
▲▲—Try hard to see
▲—Worthwhile if you can make it
No rating—Worth knowing about
• Sleeping and Eating, with good-value recommendations in every price range
• Connections, with tips on trains, buses, and driving
Practicalities, near the end of this book, has information on money, staying connected, hotel reservations, transportation, and more, plus German survival phrases.
To travel smartly, read this little book in its entirety before you go. It’s my hope that this guide will make your trip more meaningful and rewarding. Traveling like a temporary local, you’ll get the absolute most out of every mile, minute, and dollar.
Gute Reise!
